A mum has described the distress of her girl who was covered in Mrs Maguire’s blood.

Writing on Facebook, the mother said: “My daughter is traumatised by what she had to witness on Monday.”

She added the “unbelievably brave” girl ran to try to get help.

Neighbours described the suspect, who has a 19-year-old brother, as quiet but intelligent.

One neighbour said: “He was a very quiet lad. He would not say hello to you, he would put his head down and walk past.

"I never saw him with any mates.

"He had been through the long-haired phase but lately he had short hair. I expected he’d end up getting chattier as he got older – as his brother did.”

Mrs Maguire, who taught Spanish, was killed at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds.

She was due to retire at the end of this term after 40 years of loyal service at the school.

School: Corpus Christi Catholic College (Image: PA)

Headteacher Steve Mort and senior colleagues spent 15 tearful minutes reading some of the hundreds of tributes left in honour of Mrs Maguire along the 50 yards of school railings.

Mr Mort said: “Over the past 48 hours we have drawn an incredible amount of strength and comfort from all the amazing tributes and messages of sympathy and support that we have received from right across the country and, indeed, the world.”

Mrs Maguire is thought to be the first teacher stabbed to death in a British classroom.

She became the first teacher killed in a school since the Dunblane massacre in 1996.

Mrs Maguire met husband Donald, now 62, at the school when she joined as a student teacher.

Donald, who taught maths at the time, is now a landscape gardener. They have two children.

Last night Peter Mann, of the Crown Prosecution Service, announced the teenager who had been held since the attack was to be charged.

He said: “Having carefully considered the evidence presented to us by West Yorkshire police, we concluded there is sufficient evidence to charge this youth with the murder of Ann Maguire.”

The defendant will appear at Leeds youth court today then at Leeds crown court for a bail hearing on Friday.